DOCSLIB.ORG

Habitat Destruction Name: Cross-Curricular Focus: Life Scienc E Answer the Following Questions Based on the Reading Passage

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Habitat Destruction Name: � Cross-Curricular Focus: Life Scienc E Answer the Following Questions Based on the Reading Passage Cross-Curricular Reading Comprehension Worksheets: C-12 of 36 Habitat Destruction Name: Cross-Curricular Focus: Life Scienc e Answer the following questions based on the reading passage. Don't forget to go back to the passage whenever necessary to Humans are the leading cause of plants and animals find or confirm your answers. becoming endangered or extinct. An endangered species has so few members that the species may die out. Unless something is done to protect an endangered species, they will be gone forever. We will not have any more of that kind 1) Why are so many plants and animals endangered? of plant or animal on Earth. The most dangerous thing humans do to endangered animals is destroy their habitats. This is usually because we do not pay very close attention. When there is an area of 2) What do we risk losing in addition to plants and animals land we want to use, we don't notice what is already if we continue to destroy rainforests? living there. Thousands of acres of tropical forest, or rainforest, have been destroyed by humans. People wanted the land and lumber for building projects. Countless plants and 3) What happens when towns want to expand onto animals have been lost in this one habitat alone. Many more land? of the organisms that live in the tropical rainforest do not live anywhere else. We are just beginning to discover medicines and other resources there. We risk losing that knowledge if more species die out. Most of us don't live near a tropical rainforest. However, 4) What kinds of habitat are especially at risk? that does not mean we are far away from habitat destruction. When a town expands, more houses and businesses are built. The town pushes the local wildlife farther from its natural habitat. Wetlands and grasslands are unique 5) How can we help prevent more habitat destruction? habitats that are especially at risk. Thankfully, people are more aware of the problem. This is the first step toward !protecting.,._ habitats. Copyright ©2012 K12Reader - http://www.k12reader.com Dcl IIIIIIII'Reading Comprehension Worksheet Read the passage. Then answer each question. THE LIFE CYCLE When you plant a seed, does it stay a seed forever? No! Plants and animals grow and change throughout their lives. Many plants begin as seeds. As the seed gets what it needs (water, sunlight, and nutrients from the soil), it begins to grow. The seed turns into a little sprout. It keeps growing until it is a full-grown plant. Then the plant makes new seeds, so that new plants can grow even after the plant grows old and dies. Those seeds will then go through their growth process. Because seeds go through this process over and over again, it is called a life cycle. Animals also have life cycles. A frog begins as an egg. When the egg hatches, it turns into a tadpole. The tadpoles grow legs and arms, and eventually grow into adult frogs. The adult frogs lay eggs, so that new frogs can live even after the frog grows old and dies. A dog's life cycle is a little different than a frog's, because a dog does not start out as an egg. It is born from its mother's belly. The puppy keeps growing and is eventually an adult dog. Then the adult dog might have puppies to continue the life cycle! Insects like caterpillars go through life cycles, too. Caterpillars begin as eggs. When they hatch, they are larva. The caterpillar becomes a pupa, and inside of the pupa it turns into an adult. The adult is not a caterpillar; it is a butterfly! Then the butterfly lays eggs, so that new caterpillars and butterflies can live even after the butterfly grows old and dies. Plants and animals don't stay the same throughout their lives, they grow and change through their life cycle. Online reading & math for K-5 www.k5learninq.com .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Land-Use, Land-Cover Changes and Biodiversity Loss - Helena Freitas
    LAND USE, LAND COVER AND SOIL SCIENCES – Vol. I - Land-Use, Land-Cover Changes and Biodiversity Loss - Helena Freitas LAND-USE, LAND-COVER CHANGES AND BIODIVERSITY LOSS Helena Freitas University of Coimbra, Portugal Keywords: land use; habitat fragmentation; biodiversity loss Contents 1. Introduction 2. Primary Causes of Biodiversity Loss 2.1. Habitat Degradation and Destruction 2.2. Habitat Fragmentation 2.3. Global Climate Change 3. Strategies for Biodiversity Conservation 3.1. General 3.2. The European Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 4. Conclusions Glossary Bibliography Biographical Sketch Summary During Earth's history, species extinction has probably been caused by modifications of the physical environment after impacts such as meteorites or volcanic activity. On the contrary, the actual extinction of species is mainly a result of human activities, namely any form of land use that causes the conversion of vast areas to settlement, agriculture, and forestry, resulting in habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation, which are among the most important causes of species decline and extinction. The loss of biodiversity is unique among the major anthropogenic changes because it is irreversible. The importance of preserving biodiversity has increased in recent times. The global recognition of the alarming loss of biodiversity and the acceptance of its value resultedUNESCO in the Convention on Biologi – calEOLSS Diversity. In addition, in Europe, the challenge is also the implementation of the European strategy for biodiversity conservation and agricultural policies, though it is increasingly recognized that the strategy is limitedSAMPLE by a lack of basic ecological CHAPTERS information and indicators available to decision makers and end users. We have reached a point where we can save biodiversity only by saving the biosphere.
    [Show full text]
  • Energy Development's Impacts on the Wildlife, Landscapes, And
    Losing Ground: Energy Development’s Impacts on the Wildlife, Landscapes, and Hunting Traditions of the American West A Report by the National Wildlife Federation and the Natural Resources Defense Council Barbara Wheeler he iconic game species of the American wildlife are an ecological marker for the health of non- West are in perilous decline, as migratory game species, which are also becoming increasingly T animals lose ground to energy development vulnerable to the effects of energy development. and habitat destruction in southeast Montana and northeast Wyoming. Sage-grouse, mule deer, and Bountiful wildlife populations are a major part of the pronghorn are facing decreasing herd sizes and cultures and economies of Montana and Wyoming. downward long-term population trends, which Deteriorations in habitat quality associated with threaten the continued viability of these species in energy development can negatively affect wildlife the coming decades. Of the species considered, only populations and, in turn, impact hunters, wildlife- elk populations are forecast to rebound and stabilize watchers, and the tourism industry as a whole, which brings millions of people and billions of dollars to that additional habitat loss or degradation from the region every year. These impacts justify the need from historic lows, though there is significant concern energy development could stall population growth and for land management reforms and for wide-scale further displace the species. Simultaneously, big game investments in game and non-game wildlife protection Losing Ground Jack Dempsey at state and federal levels to offset the increasing impact on wildlife from energy development. Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife A study commissioned by the National Wildlife Federation and the Natural Resources Defense A study commissioned by the Council analyzes trends in population and hunting National Wildlife Federation and opportunities for mule deer, pronghorn, elk, and the Natural Resources Defense greater sage-grouse.
    [Show full text]
  • Nomadic-Colonial Life Strategies Enable Paradoxical Survival and Growth Despite Habitat Destruction Zhi Xuan Tan1, Kang Hao Cheong2*
    RESEARCH ARTICLE Nomadic-colonial life strategies enable paradoxical survival and growth despite habitat destruction Zhi Xuan Tan1, Kang Hao Cheong2* 1Yale University, New Haven, United States; 2Engineering Cluster, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore, Singapore Abstract Organisms often exhibit behavioral or phenotypic diversity to improve population fitness in the face of environmental variability. When each behavior or phenotype is individually maladaptive, alternating between these losing strategies can counter-intuitively result in population persistence–an outcome similar to the Parrondo’s paradox. Instead of the capital or history dependence that characterize traditional Parrondo games, most ecological models which exhibit such paradoxical behavior depend on the presence of exogenous environmental variation. Here we present a population model that exhibits Parrondo’s paradox through capital and history- dependent dynamics. Two sub-populations comprise our model: nomads, who live independently without competition or cooperation, and colonists, who engage in competition, cooperation, and long-term habitat destruction. Nomads and colonists may alternate behaviors in response to changes in the colonial habitat. Even when nomadism and colonialism individually lead to extinction, switching between these strategies at the appropriate moments can paradoxically enable both population persistence and long-term growth. Introduction *For correspondence: kanghao.cheong@singaporetech. Behavioral adaptation and phenotypic diversity are evolutionary meta-strategies that can improve edu.sg a population’s fitness in the presence of environmental variability. When behaviors or phenotypes are sufficiently distinct, a population can be understood as consisting of multiple sub-populations, Competing interests: The each following its own strategy. Counter-intuitively, even when each sub-population follows a los- authors declare that no ing strategy that will cause it to go extinct in the long-run, alternating or reallocating organisms competing interests exist.
    [Show full text]
  • Habitat Evaluation: Guidance for the Review of Environmental Impact Assessment Documents
    HABITAT EVALUATION: GUIDANCE FOR THE REVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT DOCUMENTS EPA Contract No. 68-C0-0070 work Assignments B-21, 1-12 January 1993 Submitted to: Jim Serfis U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Federal Activities 401 M Street, SW Washington, DC 20460 Submitted by: Mark Southerland Dynamac Corporation The Dynamac Building 2275 Research Boulevard Rockville, MD 20850 CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION ... ...... .... ... ................................................. 1 Habitat Conservation .......................................... 2 Habitat Evaluation Methodology ................................... 2 Habitats of Concern ........................................... 3 Definition of Habitat ..................................... 4 General Habitat Types .................................... 5 Values and Services of Habitats ................................... 5 Species Values ......................................... 5 Biological diversity ...................................... 6 Ecosystem Services.. .................................... 7 Activities Impacting Habitats ..................................... 8 Land Conversion ....................................... 9 Land Conversion to Industrial and Residential Uses ............. 9 Land Conversion to Agricultural Uses ...................... 10 Land Conversion to Transportation Uses .................... 10 Timber Harvesting ...................................... 11 Grazing ............................................. 12 Mining .............................................
    [Show full text]
  • Deforestation and Habitat Destruction
    Deforestation and Habitat Destruction Say Thanks to the Authors Click http://www.ck12.org/saythanks (No sign in required) To access a customizable version of this book, as well as other interactive content, visit www.ck12.org CK-12 Foundation is a non-profit organization with a mission to reduce the cost of textbook materials for the K-12 market both in the U.S. and worldwide. Using an open-source, collaborative, and web-based compilation model, CK-12 pioneers and promotes the creation and distribution of high-quality, adaptive online textbooks that can be mixed, modified and printed (i.e., the FlexBook® textbooks). Copyright © 2016 CK-12 Foundation, www.ck12.org The names “CK-12” and “CK12” and associated logos and the terms “FlexBook®” and “FlexBook Platform®” (collectively “CK-12 Marks”) are trademarks and service marks of CK-12 Foundation and are protected by federal, state, and international laws. Any form of reproduction of this book in any format or medium, in whole or in sections must include the referral attribution link http://www.ck12.org/saythanks (placed in a visible location) in addition to the following terms. Except as otherwise noted, all CK-12 Content (including CK-12 Curriculum Material) is made available to Users in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC 3.0) License (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc/3.0/), as amended and updated by Creative Com- mons from time to time (the “CC License”), which is incorporated herein by this reference. Complete terms can be found at http://www.ck12.org/about/ terms-of-use.
    [Show full text]
  • The Sixth Great Extinction Donations Events "Soon a Millennium Will End
    The Rewilding Institute, Dave Foreman, continental conservation Home | Contact | The EcoWild Program | Around the Campfire About Us Fellows The Pleistocene-Holocene Event: Mission Vision The Sixth Great Extinction Donations Events "Soon a millennium will end. With it will pass four billion years of News evolutionary exuberance. Yes, some species will survive, particularly the smaller, tenacious ones living in places far too dry and cold for us to farm or graze. Yet we Resources must face the fact that the Cenozoic, the Age of Mammals which has been in retreat since the catastrophic extinctions of the late Pleistocene is over, and that the Anthropozoic or Catastrophozoic has begun." --Michael Soulè (1996) [Extinction is the gravest conservation problem of our era. Indeed, it is the gravest problem humans face. The following discussion is adapted from Chapters 1, 2, and 4 of Dave Foreman’s Rewilding North America.] Click Here For Full PDF Report... or read report below... Many of our reports are in Adobe Acrobat PDF Format. If you don't already have one, the free Acrobat Reader can be downloaded by clicking this link. The Crisis The most important—and gloomy—scientific discovery of the twentieth century was the extinction crisis. During the 1970s, field biologists grew more and more worried by population drops in thousands of species and by the loss of ecosystems of all kinds around the world. Tropical rainforests were falling to saw and torch. Wetlands were being drained for agriculture. Coral reefs were dying from god knows what. Ocean fish stocks were crashing. Elephants, rhinos, gorillas, tigers, polar bears, and other “charismatic megafauna” were being slaughtered.
    [Show full text]
  • ES Teacher Packet.Indd
    PROCESS OF EXTINCTION When we envision the natural environment of the Currently, the world is facing another mass extinction. past, one thing that may come to mind are vast herds However, as opposed to the previous five events, and flocks of a great diversity of animals. In our this extinction is not caused by natural, catastrophic modern world, many of these herds and flocks have changes in environmental conditions. This current been greatly diminished. Hundreds of species of both loss of biodiversity across the globe is due to one plants and animals have become extinct. Why? species — humans. Wildlife, including plants, must now compete with the expanding human population Extinction is a natural process. A species that cannot for basic needs (air, water, food, shelter and space). adapt to changing environmental conditions and/or Human activity has had far-reaching effects on the competition will not survive to reproduce. Eventually world’s ecosystems and the species that depend on the entire species dies out. These extinctions may them, including our own species. happen to only a few species or on a very large scale. Large scale extinctions, in which at least 65 percent of existing species become extinct over a geologically • The population of the planet is now growing by short period of time, are called “mass extinctions” 2.3 people per second (U.S. Census Bureau). (Leakey, 1995). Mass extinctions have occurred five • In mid-2006, world population was estimated to times over the history of life on earth; the first one be 6,555,000,000, with a rate of natural increase occurred approximately 440 million years ago and the of 1.2%.
    [Show full text]
  • Ecological Consequences of Human Niche Construction: Examining Long-Term Anthropogenic Shaping of Global Species Distributions Nicole L
    SPECIAL FEATURE: SPECIAL FEATURE: PERSPECTIVE PERSPECTIVE Ecological consequences of human niche construction: Examining long-term anthropogenic shaping of global species distributions Nicole L. Boivina,b,1, Melinda A. Zederc,d, Dorian Q. Fuller (傅稻镰)e, Alison Crowtherf, Greger Larsong, Jon M. Erlandsonh, Tim Denhami, and Michael D. Petragliaa Edited by Richard G. Klein, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, and approved March 18, 2016 (received for review December 22, 2015) The exhibition of increasingly intensive and complex niche construction behaviors through time is a key feature of human evolution, culminating in the advanced capacity for ecosystem engineering exhibited by Homo sapiens. A crucial outcome of such behaviors has been the dramatic reshaping of the global bio- sphere, a transformation whose early origins are increasingly apparent from cumulative archaeological and paleoecological datasets. Such data suggest that, by the Late Pleistocene, humans had begun to engage in activities that have led to alterations in the distributions of a vast array of species across most, if not all, taxonomic groups. Changes to biodiversity have included extinctions, extirpations, and shifts in species composition, diversity, and community structure. We outline key examples of these changes, highlighting findings from the study of new datasets, like ancient DNA (aDNA), stable isotopes, and microfossils, as well as the application of new statistical and computational methods to datasets that have accumulated significantly in recent decades. We focus on four major phases that witnessed broad anthropogenic alterations to biodiversity—the Late Pleistocene global human expansion, the Neolithic spread of agricul- ture, the era of island colonization, and the emergence of early urbanized societies and commercial net- works.
    [Show full text]
  • Windwise Education Transforming the Energy of Wind Into Powerful Minds
    WindWise Education Transforming the Energy of Wind into Powerful Minds A Curriculum for Grades 6 -12 Notice: Except for educational use by an individual teacher in a class- room setting this work may not be reproduced or distributed by me- chanical or electronic means without written permission from KidWind or Pandion. For permission to copy portions or all of this material for other purposes, such as for inclusion in other documents please contact www.WindWiseEducation.org Michael Arquin at the KidWind Project at [email protected]. WindWise Education was developed with funding from the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority. V1.0 WIND & WILDLIFE HOW DOES ENERGY LESSON AFFECT WILDLIFE? 10 KEY CONCEPT BACKGROUND Students will learn that To accurately compare the effects of different electricity generation sources (or different electricity energy sources, such as coal, nuclear, hydroelectricity, and wind), the complete life cycle of each electricity generation source is examined along with an generation sources have assessment of their direct and indirect effects on wildlife. This information is then very different effects on used to predict the total wildlife impacts of each electricity generation type. The wildlife. results of this assessment yield balanced information that can be used to make informed decisions about which type of energy to use in a community. OBJECTIVES At the end of this lesson, students will n Understand the different wildlife effects and risks from electricity generated by coal, nuclear, hydro, and wind TIME REQUIRED n Complete a thorough life cycle analysis of each of the fuels to understand 1 class period how the different phases are related to the different wildlife effects GRADES METHOD 9 – 12 Students will work in teams of 2 to 4.
    [Show full text]
  • Impact of Population Growth on Environmental Degradation: Case of India
    Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1700 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2855 (Online) Vol.2, No.8, 2011 Impact of Population Growth on Environmental Degradation: Case of India Sarbapriya Ray (Corresponding Author) Dept. of Commerce, Shyampur Siddheswari Mahavidyalaya, University of Calcutta,West Bengal, India. Tel:+91-33-9433180744,E-mail:[email protected] Ishita Aditya Ray Dept. of Political Science, Bejoy Narayan Mahavidyalaya, Burdwan University, West Bengal, India. Tel:+91-33-9433861982, E-mail:[email protected] Received: October,21, 2011 Accepted: October,29, 2011 Published: November 4, 2011 Abstract: Rapid population growth in a country like India is threatening the environment through expansion and intensification of agriculture, uncontrolled growth of urbanization and industrialization, and destruction of natural habitats. The present paper is an attempt to study the population change and its impacts on land, forest and water and energy resources. Rapid population growth plays an important role in declining per capita agricultural land, forest and water resources. The analysis reveals that outcomes of high population growth rates are increasing population density and number of people below poverty line. Population pressure contributes to land degradation and soil erosion, thus affecting productive resource base of the economy. The increasing population numbers and growing affluence have resulted in rapid growth of energy production and consumption in India. The environmental effects like ground water and surface water contamination; air pollution and global warming are of growing concern owing to increasing consumption levels. The paper concludes with some policy reflections and emphasizes the potential importance of natural resources. Key words: Population, India, Growth, environment, degradation.
    [Show full text]
  • Plantation Forests, Climate Change and Biodiversity
    Biodivers Conserv (2013) 22:1203–1227 DOI 10.1007/s10531-013-0458-8 ORIGINAL PAPER Plantation forests, climate change and biodiversity S. M. Pawson • A. Brin • E. G. Brockerhoff • D. Lamb • T. W. Payn • A. Paquette • J. A. Parrotta Received: 9 November 2011 / Accepted: 15 February 2013 / Published online: 13 March 2013 Ó Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013 Abstract Nearly 4 % of the world’s forests are plantations, established to provide a variety of ecosystem services, principally timber and other wood products. In addition to such services, plantation forests provide direct and indirect benefits to biodiversity via the provision of forest habitat for a wide range of species, and by reducing negative impacts on natural forests by offsetting the need to extract resources. There is compelling evidence that climate change is directly affecting biodiversity in forests throughout the world. These impacts occur as a result of changes in temperature, rainfall, storm frequency and mag- nitude, fire frequency, and the frequency and magnitude of pest and disease outbreaks. However, in plantation forests it is not only the direct effects of climate change that will impact on biodiversity. Climate change will have strong indirect effects on biodiversity in plantation forests via changes in forest management actions that have been proposed to mitigate the effects of climate change on the productive capacity of plantations. These include changes in species selection (including use of species mixtures), rotation length, thinning, pruning, extraction of bioenergy feedstocks, and large scale climate change S. M. Pawson (&) Á E. G. Brockerhoff Scion (New Zealand Forest Research Institute), Forestry Rd, Ilam, P.O.
    [Show full text]
  • The Eco-Time Capsule Project: POPULATION MATTERS
    The Eco-Time Capsule Project: POPULATION MATTERS JOHN GUILLEBAUD 11 December 2019 We have not inherited the earth from our grandparents – we have borrowed it from our grandchildren. Kashmiri proverb, the basis of the project described below1 Unremitting growth: it’s the doctrine of the cancer cell. Sir Crispin Tickell, Patron of Population Matters I have not seen a major environmental problem facing our planet that would not be easier to solve if there were fewer people – or harder, and ultimately impossible, with ever more. Sir David Attenborough, Patron of Population Matters uccessive UK governments’ Chief Scientists and the last President of the Royal Society have all referred to the approaching ‘perfect storm’ of crises in this century related to environmentally unsustainable human Spopulation growth. In this they were no more than replicating the fully evidence- based “wake-up calls” of others, throughout the 238 years since your esteemed professional society was founded. Some of these far-sighted individuals are listed below: 200 years of intermittent warnings to the world on the risks of unremitting human population growth Thomas Robert Malthus - 1798 John Stuart Mill - 1848 Norman Borlaug - 1970 Paul Ehrlich and John Holdren - 1971 Maurice Strong - 1992 Nobel and other World Scientists’ Warning - 1992 [World Scientists’ Warning repeated at + 25 - 2017] Science Summit on World Population New Delhi - 1993 David Attenborough – 1994, and often repeated since The Environment Time Capsule Project - 1994 MANCHESTER MEMOIRS VOLUME 157 Saying “sorry”to the future1 In the Eco-Time Capsule project, environment time capsules (Eco-TCs) were buried in 1994 in the Botanic Gardens of Kew, Ness, South Africa, Seychelles, Sydney NSW and Mexico.
    [Show full text]